Curvings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Forms or shapes that bend smoothly in a continuous line or surface ; patterns of bending outlines or edges ; the results of making winding or bending motions or designs
2. The act or process of creating bent or arched shapes ; natural or artificial bends in objects or lines ; decorative or functional shaping involving winding or bending contours
3. Smooth or gradual bends or twists that create arched forms ; sequences of curved lines or surfaces ; the stylized shaping or carving producing bent or flowing designs

Etymology: "Curvings" is the plural of "curving," a noun formed from the verb "curve" plus the suffix "-ing," which turns an action or its result into a noun. The verb "curve" comes from Latin "curvus," meaning bent or crooked, which entered English through Old French "courbe" or directly from Latin in learned use. The same Latin root gives us "curve" itself, as well as words like "curvature" and "incurvate." The plural form points to the word's usual sense: separate bends or arcs that can be counted, such as the curvings of a river or of a violin body. Each one is a single instance of the bending action, so the plural works naturally when speaking of many such results at once.

Synonyms: bends, arches, loops, twists, turnings

Antonyms: straights, lines, flats